Who's Behind the Wheel? Nobody.

The driverless car is coming. And we all should be glad it is.

The Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca is a 2.2-mile asphalt roller coaster plunging and soaring across California's tawny Monterey highlands. The most famous section, the Corkscrew, requires drivers storming up a long hill to slam the brakes and take a hard left into what seems to be thin air. The car goes momentarily weightless, and when the track materializes beneath you—always a pleasant surprise—it's going downhill like a ski jump—and, oh yeah, heading hard right.

This is one of several blind corners at Laguna Seca...

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The driverless car is coming, and we all should be glad it is. Dan Neil joins digits to discuss. Photo: BMW.